1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to structure and the method of manufacture for socks and similar hosiery products. More particularly, the present invention relates to socks and hosiery products that contain more than one layer of material.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many people develop contact sores on their feet. In healthy people, these sores are often caused by poor fitting shoes. As the foot moves in relation to the poor fitting shoe, friction occurs against the skin which produces chaffing of the skin. Without correction, the chaffing can lead to blistering and finally an open sore.
The problem of contact sores on the feet is not always caused by poorly fitting shoes. People afflicted with diabetes or circulatory maladies often have skin that can blister and develop sores from the relatively minor chaffing created within properly fitting shoes and socks.
In an attempt to reduce the occurrence of contact sores, socks have been developed in the prior art that reduce friction and thus chaffing. Such a prior art sock is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,012 to Fox et al., entitled METHOD FOR TREATING LEGWEAR AND PRODUCT. In the Fox patent, a sock is disclosed where the interior of the sock is coated with a fluoropolymer. The presence of the fluoropolymer reduces friction between the skin of the foot and the sock. By reducing friction along this interface, it is believed that the amount of chaffing can be reduced and blisters can be avoided. Such a method is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,420 to Gunn, entitled LOW FRICTION APPAREL, wherein only specific areas of the interior of a sock contain a low friction material.
A problem associated with coating the interior of a sock with a fluoropolymer is that movement in between the foot and the sock is promoted. The sock therefore moves relative to the foot and does not add any static padding to the foot. Without the static padding of the sock, contact forces are not dispersed against the foot. Certain areas of the foot therefore receive localized forces as the foot moves within the confines of a shoe. Such repeated contact can cause the skin to blister and a sore to develop. Furthermore, if a foot already contains a blister or an open sore, that blister or sore is caused to move past the material of the sock. The movement of the blister or sore relative the sock can open the wound or otherwise aggravate the wound. As a result, although a sock with a slick interior may prevent the formation of some new contact sores, such socks prevent the proper healing of any sores that may develop or that already exist.
A need therefore exists in the prior art for a sock structure that reduces the formation of contact sores, distributes contact forces acting on the foot and does not aggravate or inhibit the healing of existing contact sores. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.